The present invention relates to a controller for a drink dispenser for selling a specified amount of a drink when a specified-amount sale button is pressed.
Conventional drink dispensers for selling a specified amount of a drink include specified-amount sale buttons, and when one of these buttons is pressed by a user, a specified amount of the corresponding drink is sold.
A continuous supply/stop button mainly used to set the amount of a drink is installed near the specified-amount sale button. When the continuous supply/stop button is pressed during the sale of a drink, the sale of the drink is suspended, whereas when the button is pressed while no drink is being sold, the corresponding drink is continuously supplied as long as the button is held down.
Conventional controllers for drink dispensers have the following problems.
The continuous supply/stop button serves a function which is required to set the amount of a drink to be sold but is rarely used during a normal sale. The function of this button, however, is enabled even during a normal sale. Thus, if only the specified-amount sale is used, when this button is pressed, the supply of a drink is suspended during that sale or the drink is mistakenly continuously supplied. Consequently, drinks are supplied inefficiently and waste occurs.
When the function of the continuous supply/stop button is disabled, the sale of this drink can not be suspended quickly no matter whether any drink is being sold or not, for example, if a type of drink is mistakenly selected.
An object of this invention is to limit the function of the continuous supply/stop button to prevent improper operations and to improve the operability of this button.